We've just been out for our second only trip in our 2014 Troll. We collected it in March 2019 from Automotive Leisure, and used it for a weekend shake-down trip straight after picking it up. We drove a were approx 115 mls back to the storage site.
Because of a family illness and the COVID it had to be left in storage the past two years. As a precaution we had it serviced at a approved NCA workshop, including having tyres replaced.
On the service checklist they flagged that the ball stabilizer pads were worn and were replaced. (so soon after having only driven 100 odd miles?)

When using the Eriba for this latest trip it is incredibly hard to lift the top lever up or push it right down when it's up. My wife just could'nt do it without risking her back, and even I really struggle to move push it down/up. The servicing company picked the caravan up and dropped it back at the storage site so obviously used it themselves and made no comment about it.
Is it meant to be this stiff? Is there any adjustment that can be made with affecting its stabilizing function?
Just want to get some opinions before going back to servicing company or Automotive Leisure.

Something definitely wrong there. Are the pads wound back before you try and engage the lever? I wonder whether the pads are already 'pinching' the towball and are having some effect. Standard trouble shooting - what was the last thing you changed! :o)

Hugh

They are supposed to be stiff as it's the pads engaging on the towball. Maybe because they're new pads they're needing to 'bed in' and will be easier next time you use them. As I've just mentioned on the FB pages there have been at least three types of AlKo couplings fitted to Tourings over the last 20 years but a 2014 German built should have the AKS 3004 with black handle. One other though is were you certain that the hitch was fully attached to the towball and the button on top of the hitch was showing green?

The shaft of the pads have a rubber O-ring on them which should be seated in a groove inside their receiving chambers.

If these arent seated properly then the pads could stick out too far and cause a pre-load on the lever.

However, if the pads are held firmly in place and not falling out then its probably not this but maybe worth checking?

Yes it has the AKS 3004 Al-Ko stabilizer coupling. We hadn't changed anything ourselves, it had a service at which they replaced pads.
The top red button was never green, but the green was showing behind the coupling handle, which was what we learnt on our caravan manueuvring course the week before to look for.
We also wound the jockey wheel back down to see the car raise up, again as shown on our course, to show it was locked on. We did'nt hear the 'clunk' though that we had with the Al-Ko we used on our course. The manual says it should be one handed, and not to use a lever to assist. We had 70kg noseweight.

There was a rough farm track from the storage site, then a quite bumpy minor road we drove along to our site so if it wasn't attached it surely would have popped off.
I'm not that technical, so sounds as if we should get servicing company to come and have a look.
Thanks for all your advice.

Clive

just asking what may be a very silly question (please dont be offended): did you lift both levers (the main black handle one and the smaller one underneath it) prior to seating the towbar ball?

When the ball seats in its socket the small lever clunks into place, then the large lever when lowered clamps the side pads onto the ball.

Just asking because you said you didnt hear a clunk when the ball was seated

Before troubling the servicing dealer you may like to look at this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxssz8ukUFs

It shows that there's really nothing to changing the pads on an AlKo hitch, a 2 minute job, with nothing that could account for the symptoms described. The only possible issue might be that the pads weren't pushed in far enough to click into place and that on your first use the pads were being pushed into their place in the hitchhead. If that's the case then they should be much easier to use now that they've been settled into place.

Good video SDA: I've seen that one before.

One thing to note is that the AKS 3004 Al-Ko stabiliser has its pads secured in place by O rings which arent shown in this video.

Knocking the pads out is the same but when replacing them I had to use a G-cramp to push the pads into place and to secure the O rings in their slots

Clive, with the hitch not coupled to the towcar's towball is the stabiliser handle stiff to operate in both directions?

If so, this could be due to the friction pads shafts jamming in their housing.

As you mention in your first post, the van's been sitting idle for a couple of years so it's likely that the pad shafts have rusted in the housing.

All that's required is to tap the pads out and give the shafts a good rub down with a fine wire wool. and then lubricating with silicone grease before refitting.

John: methinks MW77 has advised in the original post that the pads were replaced at a recent service so would be surprised if they're rusted.

You do raise a good point though inasmuch as to whether the stiffness on openeing/closing is present when the lever is activated without the towball seated

In that case perhaps the pads weren't installed correctly at the service and maybe the O rings have been pushed out of their grooves.

Without looking at the thing this is all guesswork and conjecture.

Its my suspiscion too that the pads arent seated correctly but I'd be very surprised if they werent them having just been fitted by a service engineer.

And of course you're correct that comments are always conjecture until someone actually takes a look and finds out what the actual problem is - that's always the 'problem' with forums:)

If its of help to anyone, here is the servicing page for the Alko 3004 stabilizer

Ours is very stiff and has been the same for 4 yrs, three services and approx, 10000 miles. My wife struggles to lift it. The van is stored inside so not subjected to weather.